


cut to the feeling

by cylobaby27



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, angus is just a kid you guys, for being taako, glamour springs, mentions of bullying, taako is surprisingly emotionally mature
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 13:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cylobaby27/pseuds/cylobaby27
Summary: Angus is distracted during their magic lessons, and it's up to Taako to figure out why.





	cut to the feeling

It’s obvious immediately that there’s something off with Angus.

 

They’re having one of their weekly magic lessons in a dome off the main campus they commandeered for training. (After the umbrastaff had carved the word “LUP” into the cafeteria wall, their invitation to practice there had been revoked.)

 

Usually, the kid is quivering with excitement for each lesson, and frankly who can blame him. He’s getting to train with _Taako_. Taako managed to con ten diamonds out of Ren for the same opportunity, and this one he’s doing for _free_.

 

Today, though, Angus is distracted and quiet. He’s not sullen—the kid has probably never had a temper tantrum in his life—but he’s withdrawn.

 

“Hey, macaroni, what’s…” Taako begins, and then thinks better of it. Talking never helped anybody. “What do you say to some shield work, hm? The one you made last week was hella. We should test it up against some spells!”

 

“Hm? Oh, that sounds great, sir,” Angus says.

 

“Come on, weren’t you the one talking at dinner yesterday about how you wanted to be in a wizard duel someday? I’m not willing to risk my beautiful hair on letting you cast spells on me yet, buckaroo, but we can do some defense work. The best offense is a good defense. I’m all about hanging out in the back and letting the bad stuff just bounce off me, you know?”

 

They square off, and Taako lobs the softest magic missile he can create toward the boy detective.

 

Angus puts up a surprisingly solid shield, making the effect of the half-hearted missiles bonking off onto the ground even more pitiful. They sputter for a second, and then disappear.

 

“Don’t go easy on me, sir,” Angus says, squaring his shoulders. “I can take it. I might be a boy, but I’m not weak. I’m not.”

 

“All right, kid. If you insist!” Taako says. This time, he sends a fireball at Angus, one that’s hot enough that it leaves the umbrastaff warm in his hand. He sculpts it to match the shield Angus had just erected, but something goes wrong. Instead of producing another solid shield, Angus’s next attempt is barely a screen of mist.

 

Taako has just enough time to recall part of the spell and soften the blow before the fireball brushes past Angus’s shield like it was a cobweb and slams into the boy.

 

“Shit, fuck,” Taako says, already running forward and casting another spell to quash all of the fire in the room.

 

Angus is coughing, one hand splayed across his chest. One of his dark curls is singed, and he’s missing half an eyebrow, but he seems otherwise unharmed.

 

That doesn’t make Taako feel much better.

 

“Are you trying to get killed?” Taako demands, stepping close to check the boy detective over more thoroughly.

 

Angus shakes his head, still patting at his clothes like he expects to find himself burning. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

 

“Well, no shit, Sherlock!” Taako says. “You want to tell me what’s wrong with you today? God, Agnes, I could have killed you. I told you that you have to be all here for magic practice. You know this shit can be dangerous.”

 

“I’m so, so sorry, sir!” Angus says. There are tears welling in his eyes, magnified by his oversized glasses. “I’ve just… It’s nothing.”

 

“Listen, kiddo, we can’t do these lessons if you’re going to be all over the place,” Taako says.

 

“I’m sorry! It won’t happen again!”

 

“Geez, cupcake, I’m not threatening to take them away. I’m saying that if we want to keep going, I’ve got to trust that you’re here. And if you’re not, you gotta tell me. You know what would happen to me if I accidentally kill you?”

 

“…You’d get in trouble?”

 

“In addition to probably getting fired by the Director, Carey and Killian would murder me,” Taako says. “No one would be able to find the body, and no one would be able to remember there was a body to find because of the voidfish! So don’t put me in that position, little dude. You have to clue me in. Clues are your thing, right?”

 

Angus sighs. “What if I promise not to let it interfere again?”

 

Taako folds his arms. “I can’t trust that unless I know what’s up,” he says. “You’re the one who always talks about getting all of the facts, buddy. You’re rubbing off on me.”

 

Angus tugs on his singed curl ruefully, and then says, “I’m just distracted about a silly encounter I had earlier today.”

 

“Doesn’t seem so silly if you’re this distracted, bubeleh,” Taako points out. “Come on, sit down. Your near-death experience wore me out.” He props himself against the dome wall, and Angus sits cross-legged across from him.

 

“I got a gashapon token for helping you guys in the Crystal Kingdom—”

 

“Whoa, you got a token for that? Did you even do that much?”

 

“Well, maybe the Director just felt bad for me because I was so worried about you guys. I guess I don’t know if I really earned it.”

 

“I’m just being a jerk. The Director doesn’t give out pity tokens. Tell me what happened, my dude.”

 

“So I went to Leon to use my token…”

 

“Ah, Leon,” Taako says, a feline smile uncurling on his lips. “How is my most very favorite artificer doing?”

 

“You shouldn’t be so mean to him, Mister Taako,” Angus scolds. “Not everyone is okay with teasing.”

 

“You, I tease,” Taako says. “Him, I torment. There’s a distinction.”

 

“That is actually even worse,” Angus points out.

 

Taako rolls his eyes. “Less lecturing, more explaining, my man.”

 

“It’s relevant to the story,” Angus tells him. “I went to exchange my token, and Leon was… Well, he was really brusque with me. I’m used to people treating me like a dumb little kid until I prove them better, but he didn’t care what I said. I think he knew that I’m friends with you. Sorry, I mean, that you and I spend time together.” Angus twists his hands in front of him. “He wasn’t mean! Not exactly. But it felt like I was bothering him just for coming by, and it’s been weighing on my mind.”

 

“You’re like, seven. How much could your mind possibly weigh?”

 

“You know I’m ten, sir. You literally asked me whether I was going to have a birthday party next month the other day because you wanted to tease me about my potential snack choices.”

 

“Whatever. Leon’s a bit of a stick in the mud. You can’t let him get to you. Also, if anything, I’m going to be meaner to him going forward.”

 

“No, don’t!” Angus exclaims, more forcefully than Taako expects. “You’d just prove him right.”

 

“What exactly did he say?”

 

“Just that he wasn’t sure why the Director had even hired me, and that this isn’t a daycare, and that my being annoying underfoot was probably going to get the Reclaimers killed,” Angus says in a big rush, and then pauses. “He didn’t sound so upset about that last part, but it upset _me_.”

 

“You’re the best Seeker this base has ever had,” Taako tells him.

 

“Oh, I know that,” Angus says. It shows how much their relationship has grown that Taako is more proud than irritated by his confidence in his own skills. “It was the other parts that bothered me.”

 

“Leon was just being a grumpy baby,” Taako says.

 

“He has a point, though, doesn’t he? I am annoying, aren’t I?”

 

“Who told you that?”

 

“Everyone? Including you. Multiple times. I just kind of thought you didn’t understand me, and then eventually I thought you changed your mind. But was he right? Am I just some…annoying kid to all of you? Not that it, it matters to me personally, but I should know professionally so I don’t distract you guys on a mission.”

 

Taako frowns. “Ango, being overly earnest and slightly annoying is your thing.” When the kid slumps, Taako rushes to add, “But that’s okay! It’s like how I’m friends with Merle _because_ he’s a creepy old man—not in spite of it. And my favorite thing about Magnus is what a dumb oaf he is. Like, dude, flaws aren’t actually a sign of likeability. You know that we’re just messing with you. I thought Mister Smarty-Pants would be smart enough to see that.”

  
“But being annoying _isn’t_ a good thing. No one liked me back in Rockport,” Angus tells him quietly. “No one ever wanted to be my friend. Not in the whole time I was growing up.”

 

“Kids will be kids, my dude. All kids are assholes—present company excluded. They’ll latch onto any excuse to be cruel so that they feel like they’re fitting in better with each other, but that’s nothing on you. Trust me, I know what it’s like to be hated.” Taako scoffs. “I mean, have you ever had someone hate you so much that they murdered forty people in your name just out of spite? Now that’s real hatred.”

 

“Are you talking about Glamour Springs, sir?” Angus asks.

 

Taako blinks. “And just who told you about that, my little nugget?”

 

“I am the world’s greatest detective,” Angus reminds him.

 

“What, so you did background checks on all of us?” Taako is still deciding whether to be annoyed or impressed.  

 

“A good detective is always thorough!” Angus says. “Besides, after we first met, I was curious. I didn’t know I’d have the chance to work with you all again, and I wanted to know more about the relic you were after.”

 

“You should know,” Taako ventures, “that the news you heard wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t—I mean, I found out recently that it wasn’t really my fault.”

 

“I know,” Angus says. “The Temporal Chalice showed you, right?”

 

“Okay, how the hell do you know that?”

 

“I saw someone had pulled up recent files on your old assistant, Sazed, from the Bureau’s records. I’ve been working on re-organizing them, so I know when something’s been moved.”

 

“That wasn’t me, bubeleh.”

 

“I know. I assumed it was one of your friends, trying to track down the person who hurt you. Probably Magnus, if I had to make an educated guess. He’s been doing a lot of research lately, but that’s the only thing that led back to you.”

 

“What else is he—Never mind. The point was that I’ve had enemies, and I’ve had people lash out at me. And, frankly, I deserved it. You? You’ve never deserved it. Not from those bullies, and not from Leon.”

 

“Your assistant poisoned an entire town. That wasn’t your fault. You would never have done that, and you didn’t deserve that..”

 

“Yeah, well,” Taako says, shrugging.

 

“His reaction is on him,” Angus presses. “Nothing you could have done to him would excuse his actions.”

 

Taako has to take a moment to recover from that. Is the kid right? “Why are we talking about me? You know I love to talk about Taako, but this was supposed to be about you.” He narrows his eyes. “You did that on purpose. You were deflecting.”

 

“Well, sir, you really should know that the incident wasn’t your fault,” Angus says, but doesn’t deny it.

 

“Sucks for you, pumpkin, because I’m tenacious. Come on. Talk to Taako. You’ve gotta know that everyone important on this moon base loves you, right? Leon doesn’t count. Everyone who is anyone loves Angus.”

 

“Including you?”

 

“Don’t get cheeky, kid. You’re the most popular Seeker on the entire base. The Director actually smiled at you last week. I saw it happen. I thought she was going to crack, or something.”

 

“Not everyone likes me,” Angus says. “Some people find my intelligence irritating.”

 

“There’s no accounting for taste,” Taako says. “Just because you can’t please everyone doesn’t mean that no one likes you, though. Should I drag you over to talk to Team Sweet Flips? I think they’ll have a lot to say on this subject. Who would have thought that Carey or Killian would have maternal instincts?”

 

“You shouldn’t ever say that to them,” Angus says. “I think they see themselves as more ‘cool big sisters,’ if anything.”

 

Taako shrugs fluidly. “If that makes them feel better. They’re about a breath away from packing you a little lunch on your first day of school.”

 

“Like the one you packed for my first planet-side mission?”

 

“Hey, I didn’t actually make any of that. I just gathered some stuff from the cafeteria. You didn’t think I’d made that shitty cheese sandwich, did you? Or the fruit cup? I mean, after the whole poison thing, I don’t cook anymore. What I’m saying is it wasn’t even that big a deal, so stop thinking about it.”

 

“But the poison wasn’t your fault. You could cook now, can’t you? You won’t hurt anyone this time,” Angus says.

 

“You’re distracting me again,” Taako says. “Back to the ‘annoying’ thing. Do you not believe that Carey, Killian, and NO-3113 really like you?”

 

“They’re nice to me, but that doesn’t mean they like me,” Angus says. “They’re just nice people.”

 

“Killian tried to kill us with animated mining equipment the first time we met, and Carey has tried to pickpocket me a million times just to see the look on my face when I realize my favorite jewelry of the day is missing. NO-3113 is actually nice, though. I can give you that one. But as a whole? They don’t waste time with people they don’t like.”

 

“What about you, sir?”

 

“Of course they like me. I’m _Taako_.”

 

“No, I mean… Would _you_ spend time with someone you don’t like?”

 

Taako shakes his head. “Kiddo, I wouldn’t even pull someone out of a burning building if I didn’t like them. You think I’d waste my precious, precious free time on someone I don’t like?” When Angus hesitates, he adds, “And yes, that means what you think it means about you. Don’t make me say it explicitly. Honesty gives me hives.”

 

“And do you… Do you think Magnus and Merle feel the same way?”

 

“Now, I know my boys aren’t the nicest to you, but you can’t take that to heart. They’re just goofs,” Taako says. “You’re not hated by any of us, okay? If anything, you are so, so loved.” He casts a quick prestidigitation, glances down at the back of his hand, and then gasps dramatically. “Look, a hive! I warned you!”

 

Suddenly, there’s a small boy hugging him tightly. “Thank you, sir.”

 

Taako tousles his thick curls and pulls him close. “Any time, pumpkin.” After an embarrassingly long time, Taako pulls back and claps his hands. “Now, let’s get back to work. Those mage hands won’t conjure themselves!”

 

When they finish training for the day, Angus darts in for another hug, and Taako allows it. But only because no one is around to see.

 

(Besides, any hit to his reputation will be thoroughly corrected when he gets his hands on Leon.)

**Author's Note:**

> Oops, I wrote another TAZ fanfic! I just love these nerds too much to resist living in their world a little while longer. 
> 
> Title is from Cut to the Feeling by Carly Rae Jepsen, which Griffin McElroy introduced me to via the new 'Wonderful' podcast.


End file.
